How to clean my tuning capacitor?

[Bill Bowden]

It's an old (1960s AM radio) air dielectric, planetary drive with ball
bearing 6X reduction). It's a very small mechanical cap measuring
about 9/8 inch square by 11/16 height with closely spaced plates
(150pF and 100pF). Problem is, the oscillator section jumps about 5KHz
out of 1Mhz or maybe 0.5% with small adjustments to the cap. It
appears it may be losing a ground connection (or high resistance) to
the moving plates, or possibly some dust between the plates. I assume
the ground connection is made through the ball bearings. I tried
spraying some contact cleaner on the ends of the shaft but it didn't
help. What would you suggest to restore the capacitor to it's original
condition? I thought about soaking it in alcohol, but maybe that's not
a good idea.

-Bill

 

[amdx]

On 5/31/2013 8:47 PM, Bill Bowden wrote:

It's an old (1960s AM radio) air dielectric, planetary drive with ball
bearing 6X reduction). It's a very small mechanical cap measuring
about 9/8 inch square by 11/16 height with closely spaced plates
(150pF and 100pF). Problem is, the oscillator section jumps about 5KHz
out of 1Mhz or maybe 0.5% with small adjustments to the cap. It
appears it may be losing a ground connection (or high resistance) to
the moving plates, or possibly some dust between the plates. I assume
the ground connection is made through the ball bearings. I tried
spraying some contact cleaner on the ends of the shaft but it didn't
help. What would you suggest to restore the capacitor to it's original
condition? I thought about soaking it in alcohol, but maybe that's not
a good idea.

-Bill

Search the archives of the crystal radio section here,
http://theradioboard.com/rb/
These guys have cleaned a lot of air caps.
Mikek

 

[Ian Field]

"Bill Bowden" <bperryb@bowdenshobbycircuits.info> wrote in message
news:b369285d-8590-46a1-be59-f891c83a1ec7@ow4g2000pbc.googlegroups.com...

It's an old (1960s AM radio) air dielectric, planetary drive with ball
bearing 6X reduction). It's a very small mechanical cap measuring
about 9/8 inch square by 11/16 height with closely spaced plates
(150pF and 100pF). Problem is, the oscillator section jumps about 5KHz
out of 1Mhz or maybe 0.5% with small adjustments to the cap. It
appears it may be losing a ground connection (or high resistance) to
the moving plates, or possibly some dust between the plates. I assume
the ground connection is made through the ball bearings.

There's usually a spring blade contact pressing against a turned shoulder on
the shaft just before it enters the bearing. The contact is often silver
plated, which can develop a heavy black tarnish. AFAICR this has never
caused a problem - YMMV.

Blasting away at the inter-vane spaces with contact lube will leave a film
on the vanes that alters the dielectric constant. You can get aerosol
dusters which are just air or some other gas, if you've got an accumulation
of settled exhaust particulates found their way between the vanes, you may
want to consider a non lubricating solvent spray.

If the bearings get washed out by solvent - as long as it has a grounding
blade for the moving vanes; you can carefully re-apply grease with a glue
applicator syringe, normally you'd use something like Elvolube contact
grease - but last time I tried to find some it seemed to have vanished from
the market.

I'd use Finnish line PTFE bicycle grease - but only if the cap has a
grounding blade to the spindle.

Immersion in solvent may be best avoided if it has mica compression trimmers
on the outside of the frame.

 

[Phil Allison]

"Bill Bowden"

It's an old (1960s AM radio) air dielectric, planetary drive with ball
bearing 6X reduction). It's a very small mechanical cap measuring
about 9/8 inch square by 11/16 height with closely spaced plates
(150pF and 100pF). Problem is, the oscillator section jumps about 5KHz
out of 1Mhz or maybe 0.5% with small adjustments to the cap. It
appears it may be losing a ground connection (or high resistance) to
the moving plates, or possibly some dust between the plates. I assume
the ground connection is made through the ball bearings. I tried
spraying some contact cleaner on the ends of the shaft but it didn't
help.

** What did you use - Freon ?

A few drops of WD40 on the bearings at each end of the moving plates usually
fixes it. Do not spray, use a syringe or the tip of a small screwdriver to
apply the liquid.

Anecdote:

A customer decided to fix his FM tuner ( Quad FM3) with the same problem.

He sprayed WD40 all over the gang and nearby PCB - the oil layer left
behind offset the local oscillator frequency by about 30 MHz, so right off
the FM band completely.

After a lot of rinsing with turps and drying with hot air, I got it back.


.... Phil

 

[Ian Field]

"Phil Allison" <phil_a@tpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:b0vn8sFhom5U1@mid.individual.net...

"Bill Bowden"

It's an old (1960s AM radio) air dielectric, planetary drive with ball
bearing 6X reduction). It's a very small mechanical cap measuring
about 9/8 inch square by 11/16 height with closely spaced plates
(150pF and 100pF). Problem is, the oscillator section jumps about 5KHz
out of 1Mhz or maybe 0.5% with small adjustments to the cap. It
appears it may be losing a ground connection (or high resistance) to
the moving plates, or possibly some dust between the plates. I assume
the ground connection is made through the ball bearings. I tried
spraying some contact cleaner on the ends of the shaft but it didn't
help.

** What did you use - Freon ?

A few drops of WD40 on the bearings at each end of the moving plates
usually fixes it. Do not spray, use a syringe or the tip of a small
screwdriver to apply the liquid.

Anecdote:

A customer decided to fix his FM tuner ( Quad FM3) with the same problem.

He sprayed WD40 all over the gang and nearby PCB - the oil layer left
behind offset the local oscillator frequency by about 30 MHz, so right
off the FM band completely.

After a lot of rinsing with turps and drying with hot air, I got it back.

The only part of that I disagree with, is the use of penetrating oil on the
bearings - its partly solvent and most of it evaporates.

The original grease was always pretty thick sticky stuff, but some later
manufacturers have used a thinner white grease - may or may not be PTFE
grease.

 

[amdx]

On 5/31/2013 9:17 PM, amdx wrote:

On 5/31/2013 8:47 PM, Bill Bowden wrote:
It's an old (1960s AM radio) air dielectric, planetary drive with ball
bearing 6X reduction). It's a very small mechanical cap measuring
about 9/8 inch square by 11/16 height with closely spaced plates
(150pF and 100pF). Problem is, the oscillator section jumps about 5KHz
out of 1Mhz or maybe 0.5% with small adjustments to the cap. It
appears it may be losing a ground connection (or high resistance) to
the moving plates, or possibly some dust between the plates. I assume
the ground connection is made through the ball bearings. I tried
spraying some contact cleaner on the ends of the shaft but it didn't
help. What would you suggest to restore the capacitor to it's original
condition? I thought about soaking it in alcohol, but maybe that's not
a good idea.

-Bill


Search the archives of the crystal radio section here,
http://theradioboard.com/rb/
These guys have cleaned a lot of air caps.
Mikek

Don't know if you tried my link, but here's more.

http://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=73596
and
http://theradioboard.com/rb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=66&hilit=cleaning+air+variables


If you use the dishwasher method, I would check the detergent on
an aluminum pie plate to make sure it doesn't react badly.
My wife changed detergent when she found the one I said got a best
value rating in Consumer Reports was eating away her pie plates.
These were the thin pie tins you get when you buy a crust.
Mikek

Mikek

 

[Bill Bowden]

On Jun 2, 12:46 pm, amdx <a...@knology.net> wrote:

On 5/31/2013 9:17 PM, amdx wrote:


On 5/31/2013 8:47 PM, Bill Bowden wrote:
It's an old (1960s AM radio) air dielectric, planetary drive with ball
bearing 6X reduction). It's a very small mechanical cap measuring
about 9/8 inch square by 11/16 height with closely spaced plates
(150pF and 100pF). Problem is, the oscillator section jumps about 5KHz
out of 1Mhz or maybe 0.5% with small adjustments to the cap. It
appears it may be losing a ground connection (or high resistance) to
the moving plates, or possibly some dust between the plates. I assume
the ground connection is made through the ball bearings. I tried
spraying some contact cleaner on the ends of the shaft but it didn't
help. What would you suggest to restore the capacitor to it's original
condition? I thought about soaking it in alcohol, but maybe that's not
a good idea.

-Bill

  Search the archives of the crystal radio section here,
 http://theradioboard.com/rb/
  These guys have cleaned a lot of air caps.
                            Mikek


   Don't know if you tried my link, but here's more.

http://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=73596
andhttp://theradioboard.com/rb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=66&hilit=cleaning+air...

If you use the dishwasher method, I would check the detergent on
an aluminum pie plate to make sure it doesn't react badly.
My wife changed detergent when she found the one I said got a best
value rating in Consumer Reports was eating away her pie plates.
These were the thin pie tins you get when you buy a crust.
                       Mikek

         Mikek

Nice pictures of ultrasonic cleaning results. Look like new.

-Bill

 

[Bill Bowden]

On Jun 1, 1:27 pm, "Ian Field" <gangprobing.al...@ntlworld.com> wrote:

"Bill Bowden" <bper...@bowdenshobbycircuits.info> wrote in message

news:b369285d-8590-46a1-be59-f891c83a1ec7@ow4g2000pbc.googlegroups.com...

It's an old (1960s AM radio) air dielectric, planetary drive with ball
bearing 6X reduction). It's a very small mechanical cap measuring
about 9/8 inch square by 11/16 height with closely spaced plates
(150pF and 100pF). Problem is, the oscillator section jumps about 5KHz
out of 1Mhz or maybe 0.5% with small adjustments to the cap. It
appears it may be losing a ground connection (or high resistance) to
the moving plates, or possibly some dust between the plates. I assume
the ground connection is made through the ball bearings.

There's usually a spring blade contact pressing against a turned shoulder on
the shaft just before it enters the bearing. The contact is often silver
plated, which can develop a heavy black tarnish. AFAICR this has never
caused a problem - YMMV.

Yes, there is a spring blade contact at the opposite end of the shaft
as the ball bearings. Didn't see any silver, the blade appears copper
or brass. I soaked the cap in alcohol for a day and moved the plates
many times. Then I dried it the sun and added a few drops of WD40 to
both ends as Phil suggested. I removed the mica insulator and cleaned
it separetely. Cap works much better now, but still a little eratic
near the bottom of the band where the plates are near fully closed.
Might need some more WD40, or maybe some thin sewing machine oil?

-Bill

Blasting away at the inter-vane spaces with contact lube will leave a film
on the vanes that alters the dielectric constant. You can get aerosol
dusters which are just air or some other gas, if you've got an accumulation
of settled exhaust particulates found their way between the vanes, you may
want to consider a non lubricating solvent spray.

If the bearings get washed out by solvent - as long as it has a grounding
blade for the moving vanes; you can carefully re-apply grease with a glue
applicator syringe, normally you'd use something like Elvolube contact
grease - but last time I tried to find some it seemed to have vanished from
the market.

I'd use Finnish line PTFE bicycle grease - but only if the cap has a
grounding blade to the spindle.

Immersion in solvent may be best avoided if it has mica compression trimmers
on the outside of the frame.

 

[John Fields]

On Mon, 3 Jun 2013 17:34:44 -0700 (PDT), Bill Bowden
<bperryb@bowdenshobbycircuits.info> wrote:

On Jun 1, 1:27 pm, "Ian Field" <gangprobing.al...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
"Bill Bowden" <bper...@bowdenshobbycircuits.info> wrote in message

news:b369285d-8590-46a1-be59-f891c83a1ec7@ow4g2000pbc.googlegroups.com...

It's an old (1960s AM radio) air dielectric, planetary drive with ball
bearing 6X reduction). It's a very small mechanical cap measuring
about 9/8 inch square by 11/16 height with closely spaced plates
(150pF and 100pF). Problem is, the oscillator section jumps about 5KHz
out of 1Mhz or maybe 0.5% with small adjustments to the cap. It
appears it may be losing a ground connection (or high resistance) to
the moving plates, or possibly some dust between the plates. I assume
the ground connection is made through the ball bearings.

There's usually a spring blade contact pressing against a turned shoulder on
the shaft just before it enters the bearing. The contact is often silver
plated, which can develop a heavy black tarnish. AFAICR this has never
caused a problem - YMMV.


Yes, there is a spring blade contact at the opposite end of the shaft
as the ball bearings. Didn't see any silver, the blade appears copper
or brass. I soaked the cap in alcohol for a day and moved the plates
many times. Then I dried it the sun and added a few drops of WD40 to
both ends as Phil suggested. I removed the mica insulator and cleaned
it separetely. Cap works much better now, but still a little eratic
near the bottom of the band where the plates are near fully closed.
Might need some more WD40, or maybe some thin sewing machine oil?

-Bill

---
It may be that there's some corrosion on the rotor shaft where the
capacitance change is erratic, or it might be that the spacing between
the plates isn't constant at the high-capacitance end of travel.

--
JF

 

[Ian Field]

"Bill Bowden" <bperryb@bowdenshobbycircuits.info> wrote in message
news:b83dacf9-42bb-4a13-bc71-8c02584b7e22@b4g2000yql.googlegroups.com...

On Jun 2, 12:46 pm, amdx <a...@knology.net> wrote:
On 5/31/2013 9:17 PM, amdx wrote:


On 5/31/2013 8:47 PM, Bill Bowden wrote:
It's an old (1960s AM radio) air dielectric, planetary drive with ball
bearing 6X reduction). It's a very small mechanical cap measuring
about 9/8 inch square by 11/16 height with closely spaced plates
(150pF and 100pF). Problem is, the oscillator section jumps about 5KHz
out of 1Mhz or maybe 0.5% with small adjustments to the cap. It
appears it may be losing a ground connection (or high resistance) to
the moving plates, or possibly some dust between the plates. I assume
the ground connection is made through the ball bearings. I tried
spraying some contact cleaner on the ends of the shaft but it didn't
help. What would you suggest to restore the capacitor to it's original
condition? I thought about soaking it in alcohol, but maybe that's not
a good idea.

-Bill

Search the archives of the crystal radio section here,
http://theradioboard.com/rb/
These guys have cleaned a lot of air caps.
Mikek


Don't know if you tried my link, but here's more.

http://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=73596
andhttp://theradioboard.com/rb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=66&hilit=cleaning+air...

If you use the dishwasher method, I would check the detergent on
an aluminum pie plate to make sure it doesn't react badly.
My wife changed detergent when she found the one I said got a best
value rating in Consumer Reports was eating away her pie plates.
These were the thin pie tins you get when you buy a crust.
Mikek

Mikek


Nice pictures of ultrasonic cleaning results. Look like new.

You'd want to be careful if the cap has mica compression trimmers -
prolonged ultrasonics can chimble away the mica, and you certainly don't
want the solvent to leave any residue.

 

[Jamie]

Bill Bowden wrote:

On Jun 4, 12:54 am, John Fields <jfie...@austininstruments.com> wrote:

On Mon, 3 Jun 2013 17:34:44 -0700 (PDT), Bill Bowden


bper...@bowdenshobbycircuits.info> wrote:

On Jun 1, 1:27 pm, "Ian Field" <gangprobing.al...@ntlworld.com> wrote:

"Bill Bowden" <bper...@bowdenshobbycircuits.info> wrote in message

news:b369285d-8590-46a1-be59-f891c83a1ec7@ow4g2000pbc.googlegroups.com...


It's an old (1960s AM radio) air dielectric, planetary drive with ball
bearing 6X reduction). It's a very small mechanical cap measuring
about 9/8 inch square by 11/16 height with closely spaced plates
(150pF and 100pF). Problem is, the oscillator section jumps about 5KHz
out of 1Mhz or maybe 0.5% with small adjustments to the cap. It
appears it may be losing a ground connection (or high resistance) to
the moving plates, or possibly some dust between the plates. I assume
the ground connection is made through the ball bearings.

There's usually a spring blade contact pressing against a turned shoulder on
the shaft just before it enters the bearing. The contact is often silver
plated, which can develop a heavy black tarnish. AFAICR this has never
caused a problem - YMMV.

Yes, there is a spring blade contact at the opposite end of the shaft
as the ball bearings. Didn't see any silver, the blade appears copper
or brass. I soaked the cap in alcohol for a day and moved the plates
many times. Then I dried it the sun and added a few drops of WD40 to
both ends as Phil suggested. I removed the mica insulator and cleaned
it separetely. Cap works much better now, but still a little eratic
near the bottom of the band where the plates are near fully closed.
Might need some more WD40, or maybe some thin sewing machine oil?

-Bill

---


It may be that there's some corrosion on the rotor shaft where the
capacitance change is erratic, or it might be that the spacing between
the plates isn't constant at the high-capacitance end of travel.

--
JF


The cap got more erratic today, so I applied more WD40 and then lost
all signals except one 50KW station about 7 miles away. Everthing
appeared normal, oscillator and antenna circuit both on correct
frequency. It appeared the Q of the antenna circuit degraded
drastically due to WD40 which may have spilled on the capacitor
plates. So, I tried measuring the resistance of some WD40 on the table
and it measured over 20Megs (limit of the meter). A few hours later,
the cap started working again, so I connected a 10 Meg resistor across
the antenna capacitor plates which made very little difference. So,
it's still a mystery how WD40, with such high resistance, effects the
Q of the capacitor. Maybe it caused some corroded point to get worse?

I saw a 16 ounce (45 watt) ultrasonic cleaner at Harbor Freight for
$29.99. I might invest in that if I can think of some other uses. I
hate to buy it just to use it once.

-Bill

You created a coating that increased the dialectic constant for the
plate that tune's the antenna..

THen again, could be the differences between G and E line effects..

Jamie

 

[Bill Bowden]

On Jun 4, 12:54 am, John Fields <jfie...@austininstruments.com> wrote:

On Mon, 3 Jun 2013 17:34:44 -0700 (PDT), Bill Bowden


bper...@bowdenshobbycircuits.info> wrote:
On Jun 1, 1:27 pm, "Ian Field" <gangprobing.al...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
"Bill Bowden" <bper...@bowdenshobbycircuits.info> wrote in message

news:b369285d-8590-46a1-be59-f891c83a1ec7@ow4g2000pbc.googlegroups.com....


It's an old (1960s AM radio) air dielectric, planetary drive with ball
bearing 6X reduction). It's a very small mechanical cap measuring
about 9/8 inch square by 11/16 height with closely spaced plates
(150pF and 100pF). Problem is, the oscillator section jumps about 5KHz
out of 1Mhz or maybe 0.5% with small adjustments to the cap. It
appears it may be losing a ground connection (or high resistance) to
the moving plates, or possibly some dust between the plates. I assume
the ground connection is made through the ball bearings.

There's usually a spring blade contact pressing against a turned shoulder on
the shaft just before it enters the bearing. The contact is often silver
plated, which can develop a heavy black tarnish. AFAICR this has never
caused a problem - YMMV.

Yes, there is a spring blade contact at the opposite end of the shaft
as the ball bearings. Didn't see any silver, the blade appears copper
or brass. I soaked the cap in alcohol for a day and moved the plates
many times. Then I dried it the sun and added a few drops of WD40 to
both ends as Phil suggested. I removed the mica insulator and cleaned
it separetely. Cap works much better now, but still a little eratic
near the bottom of the band where the plates are near fully closed.
Might need some more WD40, or maybe some thin sewing machine oil?

-Bill

---

It may be that there's some corrosion on the rotor shaft where the
capacitance change is erratic, or it might be that the spacing between
the plates isn't constant at the high-capacitance end of travel.

--
JF

The cap got more erratic today, so I applied more WD40 and then lost
all signals except one 50KW station about 7 miles away. Everthing
appeared normal, oscillator and antenna circuit both on correct
frequency. It appeared the Q of the antenna circuit degraded
drastically due to WD40 which may have spilled on the capacitor
plates. So, I tried measuring the resistance of some WD40 on the table
and it measured over 20Megs (limit of the meter). A few hours later,
the cap started working again, so I connected a 10 Meg resistor across
the antenna capacitor plates which made very little difference. So,
it's still a mystery how WD40, with such high resistance, effects the
Q of the capacitor. Maybe it caused some corroded point to get worse?

I saw a 16 ounce (45 watt) ultrasonic cleaner at Harbor Freight for
$29.99. I might invest in that if I can think of some other uses. I
hate to buy it just to use it once.

-Bill

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Bill Bowden wrote:

The cap got more erratic today, so I applied more WD40 and then lost
all signals except one 50KW station about 7 miles away. Everthing
appeared normal, oscillator and antenna circuit both on correct
frequency. It appeared the Q of the antenna circuit degraded
drastically due to WD40 which may have spilled on the capacitor
plates. So, I tried measuring the resistance of some WD40 on the table
and it measured over 20Megs (limit of the meter). A few hours later,
the cap started working again, so I connected a 10 Meg resistor across
the antenna capacitor plates which made very little difference. So,
it's still a mystery how WD40, with such high resistance, effects the
Q of the capacitor. Maybe it caused some corroded point to get worse?

WD40 isn't suitable as a lubricant for the bearings or grounding
plate. You want GC Tunerlube, white lithium grease or even Vaseline in
a pinch. Use a syringe, and inject it sparingly.


WD40 hardens into a hard to remove, non-conductive coating. Look at
the MSDS and you'll see that it is classed as a solvent.

 

[Phil Allison]

"Michael A. Terrell = Trolling Psycho"

WD40 isn't suitable as a lubricant for the bearings or grounding
plate.

** The OP needed a contact cleaner FIRST.

WD40 is that and then it leaves a thin, oily film the lubricates and
protects against moisture.

You want GC Tunerlube,

** Much the same as WD40.

white lithium grease or even Vaseline in
a pinch.

** ROTFLMAO !!

Using any sort of grease is never going to help a bad contact.

YOU FUCKWIT, RABID NUT CASE !!!!!!!!!!!

WD40 hardens into a hard to remove, non-conductive coating.

** Not unless there is a LOT of heat involved and no moving parts.

Look at the MSDS and you'll see that it is classed as a solvent.

** Which makes it a good surface cleaner AND totally contradicts everything
you just said.

BTW:

FOAD you stinking TROLL !!!!!!!

 

[Phil Allison]

"Bill Bowden"


The cap got more erratic today, so I applied more WD40 and then lost
all signals except one 50KW station about 7 miles away. Everthing
appeared normal, oscillator and antenna circuit both on correct
frequency. It appeared the Q of the antenna circuit degraded
drastically due to WD40 which may have spilled on the capacitor
plates.


** More likely rust or dirt particles from the bearings made it between the
plates - carried by the EXCESS of WD40 you applied.

I have used WD40 successfully on intermittent tuning gangs in FM receivers
many times, never any problem.

BUT I used it sparingly and carefully !!!

You may need to use an evaporative cleaner on the plates now - ie stuff
that smells nice and disappears in seconds if you spray it on your hand.




.... Phil

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Phil Allison wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell = Trolling Psycho"

WD40 isn't suitable as a lubricant for the bearings or grounding
plate.

** The OP needed a contact cleaner FIRST.

WD40 is that and then it leaves a thin, oily film the lubricates and
protects against moisture.

It is basically Kerosene, and was developed to spray on the ignition
system of airplanes. It isn't, and never was a contact cleaner.

You want GC Tunerlube,

** Much the same as WD40.

white lithium grease or even Vaseline in
a pinch.

** ROTFLMAO !!

Using any sort of grease is never going to help a bad contact.

Neither is pissing your panties in public, Phylis but you get so much
joy from the warm piss running down your legs while people point at you
and laugh.

WD40 hardens into a hard to remove, non-conductive coating.

** Not unless there is a LOT of heat involved and no moving parts.

yawn. Gun collectors despise WD40, because it does exactly what I
said, It doesn't require heat, just time for the lighter distillates to
evaporate.

Look at the MSDS and you'll see that it is classed as a solvent.

** Which makes it a good surface cleaner AND totally contradicts everything
you just said.

Only in your incredibly small mind. All it does in his application
is temporarily soften the bad lube. It does absolutely nothing to
remove oxides from the surface of the bearings, or grounding plate.

BTW:

FOAD you stinking TROLL !!!!!!!

Yawn. You need to stop projecting all your shortcomings, you
ignorant bitch. Take your Midol and go away till it kicks in.
Hopefully, Menopause will calm you down some day soon. Seen any
'Chemical fuses' lately?

 

[Phil Allison]

"Michael A. Terrell = Trolling Psycho"

WD40 isn't suitable as a lubricant for the bearings or grounding
plate.

** The OP needed a contact cleaner FIRST.

WD40 is that and then it leaves a thin, oily film the lubricates and
protects against moisture.


It is basically Kerosene,

** WRONG - there is NO kerosene in WD40 whatever.

It isn't, and never was a contact cleaner.

** It is actually one of the very, very best.

You know nothing, LYING stinking FUCKWIT

WD40 hardens into a hard to remove, non-conductive coating.

** Not unless there is a LOT of heat involved and no moving parts.

yawn. Gun collectors despise WD40, because it does exactly what I
said,

** ROTFLMAO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Might as well claim what demented chimpanzees think.

Wot a LYING, cock sucking, retarded FUCKWIT !

Look at the MSDS and you'll see that it is classed as a solvent.

** Which makes it a good surface cleaner AND totally contradicts
everything
you just said.

BTW:

FOAD you stinking TROLL !!!!!!!


Yawn.

** The sooner some decent citizen puts a criminal scumbag

like YOU out of his misery - the better.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Phil Allison wrote:

Nothing, coherent.


WD-40 AEROSOL
Chemwatch Independent Material Safety Data Sheet
Issue Date: 29-Jun-2010 CHEMWATCH 1950-6
C9317EC Version No:12
CD 2011/2 Page 1 of 7

Section 1 -CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

WD-40 AEROSOL

SYNONYMS

"61011 -7g", "61006 -60g", "61001 -150g", "61002 -255g", "61031 -275g",
"61003 -300g", "61009 -350g", "61032 -375g",
"61004 -425g", "61033 -500g"

PROPER SHIPPING NAME

AEROSOLS

PRODUCT USE

Ś
The use of a quantity of material in an unventilated or confined space
may result in increased exposure and an irritating
atmosphere developing. Before starting consider control of exposure by
mechanical ventilation.
Application is by spray atomisation from a hand held aerosol pack.
Lubricates, corrosion inhibitor, displaces moisture, penetrant, cleans
(spray).
SUPPLIER

Company: WD-40 Company Australia Pty Ltd
Address:
Level 2, Suite 23, 41 Rawson Street
Epping
NSW, 2121
Australia
Telephone: +61 2 9868 2200
Emergency Tel: 1800 024 973
Fax: +61 2 9869 7512

Section 2 -HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

STATEMENT OF HAZARDOUS NATURE

HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE. DANGEROUS GOODS. According to NOHSC Criteria, and
ADG Code.

RISK SAFETY

Ś
Flammable. • Avoid contact with skin.
Ś
Irritating to skin. • Wear suitable gloves.
Ś
Risk of explosion if heated under • To clean the floor and all objects
contaminated by this
confinement. material, use water and detergent.
Ś
Repeated exposure may cause skin • If swallowed, IMMEDIATELY contact
Doctor or Poisons
dryness and cracking. Information Centre. (show this container or
label).
Ś
Vapours may cause drowsiness and • This material and its container must
be disposed of as
dizziness. hazardous waste.
Section 3 -COMPOSITION / INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS

NAME CAS RN %
white spirit 8052-41-3. 45-50
paraffinic distillate, heavy, solvent-dewaxed (severe) 64742-65-0. 15-25
isoparaffins petroleum hydrotreated HFP 64742-47-8. 12-18
carbon dioxide 124-38-9 2-3

Section 4 -FIRST AID MEASURES

SWALLOWED

• Avoid giving milk or oils.
• Avoid giving alcohol.
• Not considered a normal route of entry.
• If swallowed do NOT induce vomiting.
• If vomiting occurs, lean patient forward or place on left side
(head-down position, if possible) to maintain open airway and
continued...


WD-40 AEROSOL
Chemwatch Independent Material Safety Data Sheet
Issue Date: 29-Jun-2010 CHEMWATCH 1950-6
C9317EC Version No:12
CD 2011/2 Page 2 of 7
Section 4 -FIRST AID MEASURES

prevent aspiration.

• Observe the patient carefully.
• Never give liquid to a person showing signs of being sleepy or with
reduced awareness; i.e. becoming unconscious.
EYE

Ś
If aerosols come in contact with the eyes:
• Immediately hold the eyelids apart and flush the eye continuously for
at least 15 minutes with fresh running water.
• Ensure complete irrigation of the eye by keeping eyelids apart and
away from eye and moving the eyelids by occasionally lifting
the upper and lower lids.
• Transport to hospital or doctor without delay.
• Removal of contact lenses after an eye injury should only be
undertaken by skilled personnel.
SKIN

Ś
If solids or aerosol mists are deposited upon the skin:
• Flush skin and hair with running water (and soap if available).
• Remove any adhering solids with industrial skin cleansing cream.
• DO NOT use solvents.
• Seek medical attention in the event of irritation.
INHALED

Ś
If aerosols, fumes or combustion products are inhaled:
• Remove to fresh air.
• Lay patient down. Keep warm and rested.
• Prostheses such as false teeth, which may block airway, should be
removed, where possible, prior to initiating first aid
procedures.
• If breathing is shallow or has stopped, ensure clear airway and apply
resuscitation, preferably with a demand valve
resuscitator, bag-valve mask device, or pocket mask as trained. Perform
CPR if necessary.
NOTES TO PHYSICIAN

Ś
Treat symptomatically.
For acute or short term repeated exposures to petroleum distillates or
related hydrocarbons:
• Primary threat to life, from pure petroleum distillate ingestion
and/or inhalation, is respiratory failure.
• Patients should be quickly evaluated for signs of respiratory distress
(e.g. cyanosis, tachypnoea, intercostal retraction,
obtundation) and given oxygen. Patients with inadequate tidal volumes or
poor arterial blood gases (pO2 50 mm Hg) should be
intubated.
• Arrhythmias complicate some hydrocarbon ingestion and/or inhalation
and electrocardiographic evidence of myocardial injury has
been reported; intravenous lines and cardiac monitors should be
established in obviously symptomatic patients. The lungs
excrete inhaled solvents, so that hyperventilation improves clearance.
• A chest x-ray should be taken immediately after stabilisation of
breathing and circulation to document aspiration and detect
the presence of pneumothorax.
Section 5 -FIRE FIGHTING MEASURES

EXTINGUISHING MEDIA

Ś
SMALL FIRE:
• Water spray, dry chemical or CO2
LARGE FIRE:
• Water spray or fog.
FIRE FIGHTING

• Alert Fire Brigade and tell them location and nature of hazard.
• May be violently or explosively reactive.
• Wear breathing apparatus plus protective gloves.
• Prevent, by any means available, spillage from entering drains or
water course.
When any large container (including road and rail tankers) is involved
in a fire,
consider evacuation by 100 metres in all directions.
FIRE/EXPLOSION HAZARD

• Liquid and vapour are flammable.
• Moderate fire hazard when exposed to heat or flame.
• Vapour forms an explosive mixture with air.
• Moderate explosion hazard when exposed to heat or flame.
Combustion products include: carbon dioxide (CO2), phosphorus oxides
(POx), sulfur oxides (SOx), other pyrolysis products typical
of burning organic material.
Contains low boiling substance: Closed containers may rupture due to
pressure buildup under fire conditions.
FIRE INCOMPATIBILITY

• Avoid contamination with oxidising agents i.e. nitrates, oxidising
acids, chlorine bleaches, pool chlorine etc. as ignition may
result.
continued...


WD-40 AEROSOL
Chemwatch Independent Material Safety Data Sheet
Issue Date: 29-Jun-2010 CHEMWATCH 1950-6
C9317EC Version No:12
CD 2011/2 Page 3 of 7
Section 5 -FIRE FIGHTING MEASURES

HAZCHEM

2YE

Personal Protective Equipment

Breathing apparatus.
Gas tight chemical resistant suit.
Limit exposure duration to 1 BA set 30 mins.


Section 6 -ACCIDENTAL RELEASE MEASURES

MINOR SPILLS

• Clean up all spills immediately.
• Avoid breathing vapours and contact with skin and eyes.
• Wear protective clothing, impervious gloves and safety glasses.
• Shut off all possible sources of ignition and increase ventilation.
MAJOR SPILLS

• Clear area of personnel and move upwind.
• Alert Fire Brigade and tell them location and nature of hazard.
• May be violently or explosively reactive.
• Wear breathing apparatus plus protective gloves.
Personal Protective Equipment advice is contained in Section 8 of the
MSDS.

Section 7 -HANDLING AND STORAGE

PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING

• Avoid all personal contact, including inhalation.
• Wear protective clothing when risk of exposure occurs.
• Use in a well-ventilated area.
• Prevent concentration in hollows and sumps.
SUITABLE CONTAINER

• Aerosol dispenser.
• Check that containers are clearly labelled.
STORAGE INCOMPATIBILITY

• Avoid reaction with oxidising agents.
STORAGE REQUIREMENTS

• Keep dry to avoid corrosion of cans. Corrosion may result in container
perforation and internal pressure may eject contents of
can.
• Store in original containers in approved flammable liquid storage
area.
• DO NOT store in pits, depressions, basements or areas where vapours
may be trapped.
• No smoking, naked lights, heat or ignition sources.
• Keep containers securely sealed. Contents under pressure.
Section 8 -EXPOSURE CONTROLS / PERSONAL PROTECTION
EXPOSURE CONTROLS
Source Material TWA ppm TWA mg/mł STEL ppm STEL mg/mł Notes
___________
Australia Exposure
Standards
Australia Exposure
Standards
Australia Exposure
Standards
Australia Exposure
Standards
___________
white spirit (White
spirits)
white spirit (Petrol
(gasoline))
carbon dioxide
(Carbon dioxide in
coal mines)
carbon dioxide
(Carbon dioxide)
_______
12500
5000
_______
790
900
22500
9000
_______
30000
30000
_______
54000
54000
_______
(see
Chapter 16)
(see
Chapter 16)

continued...


WD-40 AEROSOL

Chemwatch Independent Material Safety Data Sheet
Issue Date: 29-Jun-2010 CHEMWATCH 1950-6
C9317EC Version No:12

CD 2011/2 Page 4 of 7
Section 8 -EXPOSURE CONTROLS / PERSONAL PROTECTION

PERSONAL PROTECTION

RESPIRATOR

•Type A-P Filter of sufficient capacity. (AS/NZS 1716 & 1715, EN
143:2000 & 149:2001, ANSI Z88 or national equivalent)
EYE

Ś
No special equipment for minor exposure i.e. when handling small
quantities.
OTHERWISE: For potentially moderate or heavy exposures:
• Safety glasses with side shields.
• NOTE: Contact lenses pose a special hazard; soft lenses may absorb
irritants and ALL lenses concentrate them.
HANDS/FEET

• No special equipment needed when handling small quantities.
• OTHERWISE:
• For potentially moderate exposures:
• Wear general protective gloves, eg. light weight rubber gloves.
OTHER

• The clothing worn by process operators insulated from earth may
develop static charges far higher (up to 100 times) than the
minimum ignition energies for various flammable gas-air mixtures. This
holds true for a wide range of clothing materials
including cotton.
• Avoid dangerous levels of charge by ensuring a low resistivity of the
surface material worn outermost.
BRETHERICK: Handbook of Reactive Chemical Hazards.
No special equipment needed when handling small quantities.
OTHERWISE:
• Overalls.
• Skin cleansing cream.
• Eyewash unit.
• Do not spray on hot surfaces.
ENGINEERING CONTROLS

Ś
Engineering controls are used to remove a hazard or place a barrier
between the worker and the hazard. Well-designed
engineering controls can be highly effective in protecting workers and
will typically be independent of worker interactions to
provide this high level of protection.
The basic types of engineering controls are:
Process controls which involve changing the way a job activity or
process is done to reduce the risk.
Enclosure and/or isolation of emission source which keeps a selected
hazard "physically" away from the worker and ventilation
that strategically "adds" and "removes" air in the work environment.
Section 9 -PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

APPEARANCE
Cloudy light amber flammable liquid with a sweet solvent odour; floats
on water.
Supplied as an aerosol pack. Contents under PRESSURE. Contains carbon
dioxide propellant.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Liquid.
Gas.
Does not mix with water.
Floats on water.
State Liquid Molecular Weight Not Applicable
Melting Range (°C) Not Available Viscosity Not Available
Boiling Range (°C) Not Available Solubility in water (g/L) Immiscible
Flash Point (°C) 55 (TCC) pH (1% solution) Not Applicable
Decomposition Temp (°C) Not Available pH (as supplied) Not Applicable
Autoignition Temp (°C) Not Available Vapour Pressure (kPa) 724 max @21C
Upper Explosive Limit (%) Not Available Specific Gravity (water=1) 0.82
Lower Explosive Limit (%) Not Available Relative Vapour Density >1
(air=1)
Volatile Component (%vol) 78 Evaporation Rate Not Available
Section 10 -STABILITY AND REACTIVITY
CONDITIONS CONTRIBUTING TO INSTABILITY
• Elevated temperatures.
continued...


WD-40 AEROSOL
Chemwatch Independent Material Safety Data Sheet
Issue Date: 29-Jun-2010 CHEMWATCH 1950-6
C9317EC Version No:12
CD 2011/2 Page 5 of 7
Section 10 -STABILITY AND REACTIVITY

• Presence of open flame.
• Product is considered stable.
• Hazardous polymerisation will not occur.
For incompatible materials -refer to Section 7 -Handling and Storage.

Section 11 -TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

Ś
Irritating to skin. Ś
Repeated exposure may cause skin dryness and
cracking.
Ś
Vapours may cause dizziness or
suffocation.
Ś
Vapours may cause drowsiness and
dizziness.
TOXICITY AND IRRITATION

WD-40 AEROSOL:

Ś
Not available. Refer to individual constituents.
WHITE SPIRIT:

Ś
unless otherwise specified data extracted from RTECS -Register of Toxic
Effects of Chemical Substances.
TOXICITY IRRITATION
Inhalation (human) TCLo: 600 mg/mł/8h Nil Reported
Oral (rat) LD50: >5000 mg/kg Eye (human): 470 ppm/15m
Inhalation (rat) LC50: >5500 mg/mł/4h Eye (rabbit): 500 mg/24h Moderate

Ś
for petroleum:
This product contains benzene which is known to cause acute myeloid
leukaemia and n-hexane which has been shown to metabolize to
compounds which are neuropathic.
This product contains toluene.
This product contains ethyl benzene and naphthalene from which there is
evidence of tumours in rodents
Carcinogenicity: Inhalation exposure to mice causes liver tumours, which
are not considered relevant to humans.
white spirit, as CAS RN 8052-41-3
CARCINOGEN
Crude oil International Agency for Research on Cancer Group 3
(IARC) -Agents Reviewed by the IARC
Monographs

Section 12 -ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION

This material and its container must be disposed of as hazardous waste.
Ecotoxicity
Ingredient
WD-40 Aerosol
Persistence:
Water/Soil
No Data
Persistence: Air
No Data
Bioaccumulation Mobility
Available Available
white spirit No Data
Available
No Data
Available

Section 13 -DISPOSAL CONSIDERATIONS

• DO NOT allow wash water from cleaning or process equipment to enter
drains.
• It may be necessary to collect all wash water for treatment before
disposal.
• In all cases disposal to sewer may be subject to local laws and
regulations and these should be considered first.
• Where in doubt contact the responsible authority.
• Consult State Land Waste Management Authority for disposal.
• Discharge contents of damaged aerosol cans at an approved site.
• Allow small quantities to evaporate.
• DO NOT incinerate or puncture aerosol cans.
continued...


WD-40 AEROSOL
Chemwatch Independent Material Safety Data Sheet
Issue Date: 29-Jun-2010 CHEMWATCH 1950-6
C9317EC Version No:12
CD 2011/2 Page 6 of 7
Section 14 -TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION


Labels Required: FLAMMABLE GAS
HAZCHEM:
2YE (ADG7)
ADG7:
Class or Division 2.1 Subsidiary Risk: None
UN No.: 1950 Packing Group: None
Special Provision: 63, 190, 277, 327 Limited Quantity: See SP 277
Portable Tanks & Bulk None Portable Tanks & Bulk None
Containers Containers
-Special
Instruction: Provision:
Packagings & IBCs PP17,
PP87, L2 Packagings & IBCs P003,
LP02
Packing Instruction: Special Packing
Provision:
Name and Description: AEROSOLS
Land Transport UNDG:
Class or division 2.1 Subsidiary risk: None
UN No.: 1950 UN packing group: None
Shipping Name:AEROSOLS
Air Transport IATA:
UN/ID Number: 1950 Packing Group: -
Special provisions: A145
Shipping Name: AEROSOLS, FLAMMABLE
Maritime Transport IMDG:
IMDG Class: 2 IMDG Subrisk: SP63
UN Number: 1950 Packing Group: None
EMS Number: F-D, S-U Special provisions: 63 190 277 327 344 959
Limited Quantities: See SP277
Shipping Name: AEROSOLS
Section 15 -REGULATORY INFORMATION

POISONS SCHEDULE None

REGULATIONS

Regulations for ingredients

white spirit (CAS: 8052-41-3) is found on the following regulatory
lists;

"Australia Exposure Standards","Australia Hazardous
Substances","Australia Inventory of Chemical Substances
(AICS)","Australia
Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (SUSMP)
-Appendix E (Part 2)","IMO IBC Code Chapter 17: Summary of
minimum requirements","IMO Provisional Categorization of Liquid
Substances -List 2: Pollutant only mixtures containing at least
99% by weight of components already assessed by IMO","International
Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) -High Production
Volume List"

No data for WD-40 Aerosol (CW: 1950-6)

Section 16 -OTHER INFORMATION

INGREDIENTS WITH MULTIPLE CAS NUMBERS

Ingredient Name CAS
isoparaffins petroleum hydrotreated 64742-47-8, 64742-82-1, 8052-41-3,
1030262-12-4,
HFP 101795-05-5

Ś
Classification of the preparation and its individual components has
drawn on official and authoritative sources as well as
continued...


WD-40 AEROSOL
Chemwatch Independent Material Safety Data Sheet
Issue Date: 29-Jun-2010 CHEMWATCH 1950-6
C9317EC Version No:12
CD 2011/2 Page 7 of 7
Section 16 -OTHER INFORMATION

independent review by the Chemwatch Classification committee using
available literature references.
A list of reference resources used to assist the committee may be found
at:

www.chemwatch.net/references.

Ś
The (M)SDS is a Hazard Communication tool and should be used to assist
in the Risk Assessment. Many factors determine whether
the reported Hazards are Risks in the workplace or other settings.
This document is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes
of private study, research, review or
criticism, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be
reproduced by any process without written
permission from CHEMWATCH. TEL (+61 3) 9572 4700.

Issue Date: 29-Jun-2010
Print Date: 28-Jul-2011

This is the end of the MSDS.

 

[Phil Hobbs]

On 06/14/2013 08:32 PM, Bill Bowden wrote:

On Jun 4, 12:54 am, John Fields <jfie...@austininstruments.com> wrote:
On Mon, 3 Jun 2013 17:34:44 -0700 (PDT), Bill Bowden


bper...@bowdenshobbycircuits.info> wrote:
On Jun 1, 1:27 pm, "Ian Field" <gangprobing.al...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
"Bill Bowden" <bper...@bowdenshobbycircuits.info> wrote in message

news:b369285d-8590-46a1-be59-f891c83a1ec7@ow4g2000pbc.googlegroups.com...


It's an old (1960s AM radio) air dielectric, planetary drive with ball
bearing 6X reduction). It's a very small mechanical cap measuring
about 9/8 inch square by 11/16 height with closely spaced plates
(150pF and 100pF). Problem is, the oscillator section jumps about 5KHz
out of 1Mhz or maybe 0.5% with small adjustments to the cap. It
appears it may be losing a ground connection (or high resistance) to
the moving plates, or possibly some dust between the plates. I assume
the ground connection is made through the ball bearings.

There's usually a spring blade contact pressing against a turned shoulder on
the shaft just before it enters the bearing. The contact is often silver
plated, which can develop a heavy black tarnish. AFAICR this has never
caused a problem - YMMV.

Yes, there is a spring blade contact at the opposite end of the shaft
as the ball bearings. Didn't see any silver, the blade appears copper
or brass. I soaked the cap in alcohol for a day and moved the plates
many times. Then I dried it the sun and added a few drops of WD40 to
both ends as Phil suggested. I removed the mica insulator and cleaned
it separetely. Cap works much better now, but still a little eratic
near the bottom of the band where the plates are near fully closed.
Might need some more WD40, or maybe some thin sewing machine oil?

-Bill

---

It may be that there's some corrosion on the rotor shaft where the
capacitance change is erratic, or it might be that the spacing between
the plates isn't constant at the high-capacitance end of travel.

--
JF

The cap got more erratic today, so I applied more WD40 and then lost
all signals except one 50KW station about 7 miles away. Everthing
appeared normal, oscillator and antenna circuit both on correct
frequency. It appeared the Q of the antenna circuit degraded
drastically due to WD40 which may have spilled on the capacitor
plates. So, I tried measuring the resistance of some WD40 on the table
and it measured over 20Megs (limit of the meter). A few hours later,
the cap started working again, so I connected a 10 Meg resistor across
the antenna capacitor plates which made very little difference. So,
it's still a mystery how WD40, with such high resistance, effects the
Q of the capacitor. Maybe it caused some corroded point to get worse?

I saw a 16 ounce (45 watt) ultrasonic cleaner at Harbor Freight for
$29.99. I might invest in that if I can think of some other uses. I
hate to buy it just to use it once.

-Bill

You want to use DeOxit.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics

160 North State Road #203
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510

hobbs at electrooptical dot net
http://electrooptical.net

 

[Ian Field]

"Phil Hobbs" <pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote in message
news:yJ-dnSCIbrGKuyLMnZ2dnUVZ_jSdnZ2d@supernews.com...

On 06/14/2013 08:32 PM, Bill Bowden wrote:
On Jun 4, 12:54 am, John Fields <jfie...@austininstruments.com> wrote:
On Mon, 3 Jun 2013 17:34:44 -0700 (PDT), Bill Bowden


bper...@bowdenshobbycircuits.info> wrote:
On Jun 1, 1:27 pm, "Ian Field" <gangprobing.al...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
"Bill Bowden" <bper...@bowdenshobbycircuits.info> wrote in message

news:b369285d-8590-46a1-be59-f891c83a1ec7@ow4g2000pbc.googlegroups.com...


It's an old (1960s AM radio) air dielectric, planetary drive with
ball
bearing 6X reduction). It's a very small mechanical cap measuring
about 9/8 inch square by 11/16 height with closely spaced plates
(150pF and 100pF). Problem is, the oscillator section jumps about
5KHz
out of 1Mhz or maybe 0.5% with small adjustments to the cap. It
appears it may be losing a ground connection (or high resistance) to
the moving plates, or possibly some dust between the plates. I assume
the ground connection is made through the ball bearings.

There's usually a spring blade contact pressing against a turned
shoulder on
the shaft just before it enters the bearing. The contact is often
silver
plated, which can develop a heavy black tarnish. AFAICR this has never
caused a problem - YMMV.

Yes, there is a spring blade contact at the opposite end of the shaft
as the ball bearings. Didn't see any silver, the blade appears copper
or brass. I soaked the cap in alcohol for a day and moved the plates
many times. Then I dried it the sun and added a few drops of WD40 to
both ends as Phil suggested. I removed the mica insulator and cleaned
it separetely. Cap works much better now, but still a little eratic
near the bottom of the band where the plates are near fully closed.
Might need some more WD40, or maybe some thin sewing machine oil?

-Bill

---

It may be that there's some corrosion on the rotor shaft where the
capacitance change is erratic, or it might be that the spacing between
the plates isn't constant at the high-capacitance end of travel.

--
JF

The cap got more erratic today, so I applied more WD40 and then lost
all signals except one 50KW station about 7 miles away. Everthing
appeared normal, oscillator and antenna circuit both on correct
frequency. It appeared the Q of the antenna circuit degraded
drastically due to WD40 which may have spilled on the capacitor
plates. So, I tried measuring the resistance of some WD40 on the table
and it measured over 20Megs (limit of the meter). A few hours later,
the cap started working again, so I connected a 10 Meg resistor across
the antenna capacitor plates which made very little difference. So,
it's still a mystery how WD40, with such high resistance, effects the
Q of the capacitor. Maybe it caused some corroded point to get worse?

I saw a 16 ounce (45 watt) ultrasonic cleaner at Harbor Freight for
$29.99. I might invest in that if I can think of some other uses. I
hate to buy it just to use it once.

-Bill


You want to use DeOxit.

My ultrasonic cleaner gets used at least once a week to clean the business
end of my electric shaver. that's not the only use either.

It came with an assortment of attachments for cleaning CDs and a watch
bracelet holder amongst others.